Apparatus for treating rayon in cake form



Feb. 9, 1937. T. M CQNNELL APPARATUS FOR TREATING RAYON IN CAKE FORM Filed Jan; 25, .1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR film/4.5 MGM/VELL ATTORNEYS EEE EEG Feb. 9, 1937-. T,' Mc-CCNNELL 2,070,538

APPARATUS FOR TREATING RAYON IN CAKE FORM Filed Jan. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 77/0444: M6bl/NELL A TORNEYS Patented Feb. 9, 1937 APPARATUS FOR T CAKE REATING RAYON IN FORM Thomas McConnell, Northampton, Mass, assignor to Hampton Company, Easthampton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 25,1936, Serial No. 60,845

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating rayon in cake form. Although the apparatus may find application in various rayon treating steps, it finds its greatest utility and will therefore be described in connection with the dyeing and subsequent treatment of the rayon cake. This application is a continuation in part of my prior'applications Serial Nos. 27,571 and 27,574, filed June 20, 1935.

In the manufacture of rayon it has heretofore been proposed to avoid any intermediate winding of the rayon into skeins by treating and dyeing the rayon while it is in what is customarily called cake form. It is a usual manufacturing operation to carry the parallel coagulated rayon filatures through a hollow guide which reciprocates axially within a rotating pot of somewhat coneshaped form, the rayon yarn being thrown out against the inside wall of the pot by centrifugal force. The rotation of the pot causes the yarn issuing from the guide to-be twisted, and the reciprocation of the guide causes the yarn to be wound evenly upon the inside wall of the pot. The annular, frusto-conical yarn mass thus produced is called a cake. The cake treatment heretofore proposed consists in removing the cake from the spinning pot, covering it with a porous elastic fabric preferably of circular knitted material, and then allowing the various treating and dyeing solutions toseep through the yarn mass. One method of treatment has consisted in placing the fabric covered cake within a perforated container and then passing the treating liquid outwardly under pressure. The apparatus forming the subject of the present invention is an improvement on that previously proposed in several important particulars.

After the rayon has been once dehydrated during the treating process, the originally rather hard and practically self-supporting yarn mass becomes very soft. Rayon loses much of its strength when wet, and particularly in the dye-- ing operation the inability of the cake to maintain a permanent shape has proved a serious handicap. By the-time dyeing is commenced the rayon is very soft and flufiy, and the cake cannot then be treated in ways that are perfectly adaptable to it in the earlier stages of treatment. Furthermore, while the earlier treating steps involve either the mere removal of some previous treating agent, or involve reactions having definite end points so that a short over-treat-' ment of some portions of the yarn mass causes no damage; the dyeing of the yarn is accomplished by a progressive absorption of dye from the liquor, so that if more liquor passes through certain portions of the cake than through other portions those portions receiving the greater volunie of liquor will be dyed a deeper shade. In passing a liquid through a yarn mass such as a rayon cake there is a tendency for the liquid to form channels between certain sections of the yarn, and in certain types of treating apparatus there is a tendency for the liquid to bypass the cake entirely so that the dyeing operation may have a very different effect upon difierent cakes in the same length of time. These tendencies are accentuated by the softness and inability of the cake to support itself when wet, as if the cake is not thoroughly supported from the outside, and held in a position where it cannot become compressed due to the weight of the liquor which it takes up, it will sag away from the confining walls of its container and permit the liquor to pass by its ends. I

The apparatus herein described avoids these difflculties, and in the dyeing operation insures that the dyeing liquor may pass evenly throughout the entire yarn mass. The apparatus furthermore assists in the loading of the rayon cakes into and in their removal from the treating apparatus, so that the soft and delicate cakes will not be damaged by handling. The apparatus also afiords'an improved means for subjecting the cakes to the centrifugal extraction of moisture after the cakes have been dyed and washed. The way in which these several advantages are obtained will be disclosed as the description proceeds.

The invention will now be described in connection with the attached drawings, in which--' Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the different parts of the invention used in enclosing the cakes during the dyeing operation and illustrating the manner in which these parts are assembled;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the application of the invention to the centrifugal extraction of moisture from the rayon cakes;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shown assembled and partly broken away to disclose the relation of the several members;

Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the use of the invention in the dyeing operation; and i Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the dyeing apparatus with which the cake container is especially adapted to function.

Throughout the drawings the rayon cakes are and the base I3 indicated by I I3 and their tubular knitted fabric covering by II. A tubular sleeve I2 is attached to a head or base I3 as by spot welding to a circular flanged member I4 located within the sleeve. The sleeve is made of such a diameter ,as to fit snugly but freely within' the hole within the rayon cakes,

is of suflicient diameter to support the cakes when they are slipped upon the sleeve as in Fig. 1. For the dyeing operation the sleeve, with thedesired number of cakes thereon (here shown as three) is slipped within a basket or cage I5 having a flanged header I6 secured as by spot welding thereto. 'A cover I1, preferably having a flanged outer edge I8 adapted to fit over the outside of the basket I5, has a central depression I9 conveniently made conical in shape, which fits within the end of the sleeve I2. In order to hold the cover in place on the sleeve I2 the inner end of the depression I9 is provided with a cross piece 20 adapted to fit under arouate and helically arranged lugs 2| secured to the inside of the sleeve I2. The ends of the cross 7 piece are preferably somewhat twisted, as best shown in Fig. 2, so that the slanting lugs. 7

After the rayon cakes have been removed from the spinning baskets and covered with the tubular knitted fabric wrapping II, and preferably they will fit flatly under after they have been opened up or softened either by rolling or by some other treatment, they are placed upon the sleeve I2. The preliminary desulphurizing and bleaching out in the previously customary ways, or may be left for performance after the cakes have been enclosed in the improved container. Whether the cakes are to be given the preliminary treatment or whether they have been previously treated and are to be dyed only, they are placed upon the sleeve I2, preferably while the sleeve is standing vertically upon its base-I3. v'Ihebase extends underneath the lowermost cake sufliciently so that the cake is given substantially full support. Enough cakes are stacked one on top of the other to completely fill the sleeve, this being When the cakes are all assembled on the sleeve the cover l l is applied and rotated until the cross piece 20 is firmly engaged under the lugs 2 i The application of the cover to the sleeve slightly compresses the cakes, which may if necessary be patted into round form with the fingers. The filled sleeve with the cover thereon is then inserted into the basket I5, which is made of a length equal to the sleeve and of a diameter just sufiicient to enclose snugly but freely the exteriors of the cakes. The flange I 8 of the cover I! slips over the outside of the basket as is seen in Fig. 5, so as to hold the assembly together until it is firmly clampedin the dyeing apparatus.

The cakes are now completely supportedinternally, externally, and at their ends. Where more than one cake is held in the container the ends of intermediate cakes are held not by a W cakes.

steps may be carried.

the less weak due to saturation with dyeing or other liquor. The several parts are made of such sizes that they will engage the cakes snugly but with out too much compression. Either a loose or a too tight fit will adversely affect the uniformity of the dyeing operation; since a too loose fit would permit by-passing of the liquor and a too tight flt would prevent equal and free penetration of-the liquor throughout the body of the The dyeing operation is preferably carried out in a standard form of dyeing machine, heretofore used for bobbins of cotton yarn, the process of dyeing in this type of machine involving the use of the present invention being described and claimed in my copending application Serial .No. 27,574, filed June 20, 1935, of which the present application is a continuation in part. This machine comprises a cylindrical tank 25 into which is lowered a cylindrical member 25 into which are threaded a large number of hollow perforated spindles 27. The bases I3 and I 6 and the cover I! are centrally perforated to permit passage of a spindle 21, and the assembled container is held in place on a spindle by means of a cap nut 28. The parts of the cake container, as well as the parts of the dyeing apparatus, are preferably made of stainless steel or other non-corrosive material so that they will not be attached by the dyeing liquor.

As is pointed out in my copending application referred to, the spindles 27 are mounted in a horizontal position, so that there will be no tendency for the cakes to gravitate towards oneend of the container as they become wet and heavy. When the spindles have all been provided with containers the central cylindrical member 26 is lowered into the tank 25, and the tank and member are both filled with dyeing liquor. Suitable pumping apparatus, as is common in the usual operation of the dyeing device described, is emwall of the cage I5, as is shownin Fig. 4, in some instances moving slightly away from the outer wall of the sleeve I2. Were this position to be continued'for the entire dyeing operation there would be danger of the liquor definingchannels through the cake in which it could pass with greater ease than through other portions of the cake. By reversing the flow while the cake is still confined within the improved container this channeling effect is avoided. At each shift in the direction of flow of the liquor the cake is moved from contact with the inner surface of the basket is to contact with the outer surface of the sleeve I2 or vice versa. The shifting of the position of the individual filaments which is caused by this change in position of the cake as a whole serves to close up the original channels and to force the liquor to seek new passages. Excessive dyeing of the filaments adjacent the channels which may be formed at any time is thus avoided, the direction of flow being changed often enough so that the yarn will not have time to become excessively colored in any one portion.

When the rayon cake has been sumciently treated in the basket it may be washed while still contained Within the basket or it may be removed and washed in any desiredmanner if washing is necessary. Washing in the basket, by

In this case the sleeve l2. with the ser es of cakes 10 supported by its base l3 and still held if desired by the cover H, has been withdrawn from the basket l5 and placed w thin a basket 30 which is similar to'the basket I5 except that it is slightly larger and is mounted on a base 3! aflixed to a rotatable shaft 32. When the sleeve with the cakes thereon has been placed within the basket 30, the cover H,- if used, may have its flange l8 extending inside'the basket on account of the slight diiference in size of the latter. The cover may be omitted if desired. The shaft 32 is retated at a high speed and a major portion of the moisture is removed from the cakes by centrifugal extraction. After extraction has been 2 completed to the degree desired the sleeve, with .the cakes stillthereon, can be removed by engaging the central hole in the cover or, if the cover is omitted, by engaging the lugs 2|, this removal being facilitated by the larger size of the basket 30 which prevents the cakes becoming too firmly compacted against the walls of the basket. The drying of the cakes may then be completed by any of the usual means.

It will be seen that the apparatus described has material advantages in avoiding repeated handling of the cakes, and that the cakes are suprported on all sides during all periods when any damage due to sagging might occur. The apparatus has been described in considerable detail in order to render its construction and operation 4 clear, but it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention thereby except insofar as is pointed out in the appended claims.

Iclaim: j 1. An apparatus for holding a stack of rayon 45 cakes during treatment comprising separable perforate inner and outer cylindrical members forming an annular cake-receiving space between them, an outwardly projecting cake-supporting flange carried by the inner member at one end 50 thereof, the inner member and its supporting flange being adapted to support the inside and the lower surface of a stack of cakes while the assemblage consisting of the inner member, the

flange thereon, and the stack of cakes is being inr 55 serted into the outer cylindrical member, an end wall at that end of the outer cylindrical member adjacent to which the flange on the inner memher is located when the apparatus is assembled, a removable cover for the other end of the outer G0 cylindrical member, and means for securing said cover removably in position in contact with the end of the stack of cakes remote from the flange on the inner member.

2. An apparatus for holding a stack of rayon 5 cakes during treatment comprising separable perforate inner and outer cylindrical members forming an annular cake-receiving space between them, an outwardly projecting cake-supporting flange carried by the inner member at one end 70 thereof, the inner member and its supporting flange being adapted to support the inside and the lower surface of a stack of cakes while the assemblage consisting of the inner member, the

flange thereon, and the stack of cakes is being i5 inserted into the outer cylindrical member, an

end wall at that end of the outer cylindrical member' adjacent to which the flange on the inner member is located when the apparatus is assembled, a removable cover for the other end of the outer cylindrical member, and means for securing said cover removably in position in contact with the end of the stack of cakes remote from the flange on the inner member, the flange on the inner member, the end wall of the outer member, and the cover being centrally perforated to receive the spindle of a dyeing machine, and means for securing the assembly on a spindle.

3. An apparatus for holding a stack of rayon cakes during treatment comprising separable perforate inner and outer cylindrical members forming an annular cake-receiving space between them, an outwardly projecting cake-supporting flange carried by the inner member at one end thereof, theinner member and its supporting flange being adapted to support the inside and the lower surface of a stack of cakes while the assemblage consisting of the inner member, the flange thereon, and the stack of cakes is being inserted into the outer cylindrical member, an end wall at that end of the outer cylindrical member. adjacent to which the flange on the inner member is located when the apparatus is assembled, a removable cover for the other end of the outer cylindrical member, an inwardly projecting extension of said cover adapted to enter the space within the inner member, locking members projecting laterally from said extension, and lugs arranged in a generally helical pattern on the inner wall of the inner perforate member for engagement with the locking members to hold the cover firmly in place in contact with the end of the'stack of cakes remote from the flange on the inner member.

4. An apparatus for holding a stack of rayon cakes during treatment comprising separable perforate inner and outer cylindrical members forming an annular cake-receiving flange carried by the inner member at one end thereof, the inner-member and its supporting flange being adapted to support the inside and the lower surface of a stack of cakes while the assemblage consisting of the inner member, the flange thereon, and the stack of cakes is being inserted into the outer cylindrical member, an end wall at that end of the outer cylindrical member adjacent to which the flange on theinner member is located when the apparatus is assembled, a removable cover for the other end of the outer cylindrical member, an inwardly projecting extension of said cover adapted to enter the space within the inner member, locking members projecting laterally from said extension, and lugs arranged in a generally helical pattern on the inner wall of the inner perforate member for engagement with the locking members to hold the cover firmly in place in contact with the end of the stack of cakes remote from the flange on the inner member, the flange, the end wall, the cover, and the inwardly projecting extension being centrally perforated to receive thespindle of a dyeing machine, and means for securing the assembly on said spindle so as to restrict flow of fluid to or from the interior of the inner member to said spindle and to restrict flow from or to said assembly, other than through said spindle, to the perforations in the outer cylindrical member.

5. An apparatus for holding rayon cakes during treating operations comprising a substantially cylindrical perforated sleeve over which the cakes can be slid and through which liquid may flow, a

flange secured to the sleeve at one end upon which the sleeve may stand with its axis vertical to permit the cakes to be slid thereon, said flange extending outwardly from the sleeve a suficient distance to, furnish support for a cake or cakes upon the sleeve, a removable header at the end of the sleeve opposite the flange, said header having an inwardly projecting extension adaptedto enter the space within thesleeve, locking members projecting outwardly from said extension in a position avoiding interference with the passage of a support for the assemblage, lugs on the inner rations, and means for conducting treating fluid 10 to or from the space within the sleeve.

THOMAS MCCONNELL. 

